Abstract
This paper provides an analysis of tourists’ experience based on their demography. Sikkim is known to be a Buddhist state has incorporated religious sites in tourism. The monasteries in the state have not only attracted domestic tourists but international tourists as well. Tourists who visit solely for the purpose of religion mostly follow the Vajrayana sect of Buddhism. This study focuses on the aspect of religious tourism in the State of Sikkim. It takes into account the demography of the tourists and their effect on experience in monasteries situated within Sikkim. The demographic variable of tourists was categorized into gender, age, marital status, monthly income, educational qualification, occupation, and Sikkim monasteries profile of the tourists were the type of tour, Motivation for visiting religious sites, participation in or performed rituals in religious ceremony, accommodation of stay, duration of visit, means of bookings, monasteries visited while in Sikkim, means of information and recommendation of the site to others. Data was collected through primary and secondary sources. Data were collected from respondents through interviews and questionnaires based on the nominal scale. A total of 200 samples were gathered from diverse tourists visiting six of the Buddhist monasteries in Sikkim (Rumtek, Tashiding, Sangachoeling, Chorten, Pemayangtse and Dubdi monastery) utilizing the convenience sampling method. The collected questionnaires were analyzed with the application of independent sample T-test and one-way ANOVA. This study concluded that the demography of the tourists is essential in segregating and assessing what tourists expect from their visits to these monasteries. The study provides an overview of tourists visiting Sikkim religious sites, revealing diverse demography and motivations for tourists to visit monasteries. Hence, identifying the demography of the tourists needs to be given equal importance to enhance the future tourist experience.
Keywords: Religious Tourism, Tourist Demography, Tourist Experience, Buddhism, Monasteries etc.
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